The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-04-07

goons of the lowlands, which are, with good
reason. deadly terror to the unacclmated.
The town of Tepic. which lies at the foot of
the Sierra del Alicia. has about 10000 inhabit-
ants. Though an important mining center, it
Is chiefly noted for its manufacture of fine
cigars. At an elevation of over four thousand
feet above the Gulf. it is surrounded by Il rich
coffee and tobacco producin" county. having
the Pacific port. san Bias, for Il convenient
poiEt of shipment. Tcpie is exactly 25S miles
from the city of Mexico, and is reached by
di|rcncia from Guadalajara. The Mexican Cen
tral R'y company is building a branch line.
which will run to san Bias nearly parallel to
the old stage route.
At san Bias the imaginative traveller feels no
small degree of pleasure in having crossed the
continent at last and discovered the Pacific.
like another Balboa. whose great waves break
ing upon the rock-lound coast sound i'll solemn
murmur> through his dreams The shabby lit
tie port is hardly more than a matched village
though larger than either Acapulco or Manzan-
lilo. Its population is less than four thousand,
and Il ,le>utory communication Is kept up with
the outer world by mcan> of Pacific lnail steam
"r> which stop here once month.
san BIAS
i distant from San Francisco onl, 1919 mile,
by sea. but the hot. tropical jungle> surround
in" ii. the proper home and favorite haunt
Of Yellow fever and fatal r0ienttnrdS-ha
isolated it Il, completely a> though it occupied
anoth"r sphere.
On a bluit above the present town lie the
ruins of an ancient and much more substantial
san Bias. which was shaken in pieces by an
earthquake many years ago. some old bronze
bells from its demolished church have been
brought down from the blum and set UP in
front Of the gra>>-tllatchcd chapel which seems
to satisfy modern ctricsiastica needs. This
arrangement. which at first was intended to be
but temporary. is now sometimes Satirically re-
fcrrcd 10 as In t0rre de san Bias. uhc san
,'pt buf * uIit nl,al,I fbnf
people now that prc>tly power no longer rules.
will never provided better bciry for the rusty
bells than the rude trcstle Wor> in front Of the
poor adobe chapel.
1t will remembered that these same BELLS
of san Blas"-a> written about in IIarpcr> by
tina, pleasant author. Mr.. W. II. Bishop
served as the Inspiration for Lon-lrlow'>
latest poem. The great poet died on the 24th
Of March. l'S2: aud in his portfolio was found
his last work entitled "The Bells "l san El;,-.''
thal wrote WAS >ticd forever. We have not
>l'a", for the whole poem. hu; here are three
vcr>c~ from the cleycE. Look il III. friends
il is well worth the trouble
"What -;,y the Bells of san Bias
To the ships that southwark pass
From the larijor of Mazallan
10 them il i nuthn. more
Than the >on,l "f the surf ol hr shore.
Nothing more to master nr .Aan.
Bat 70 l!i,'. Il dreamer Of dream =,
To whoIn What is an, W hat = ms
Are often one and the same.
The Bells OF Sail Bias to me
Have Il strange wild melody
And are something more than Il maine.
Oh. Bells of san Bias. in vain
y" cali back the Past again.
The Past is deaf to your PRAYER:
out Of the shadows of night
The world rolls into light:
Ii i, Iay-hrrak everywhere"
FANNIE Il. WAED.